The National tribune., 1887-05-26
"OLD ROSY"
His Speech on Gen. Thomas at the
Army of the Cumberland Meeting.

The followingi is Gen. Rosecrans's speech at the
recent Reunion of the Army the Cumberland: ::
COMRADES: 1t is nearly "a years since we
parted. OF all the Is meetings which have since
occurred / have been able TO attend only three,
at indianapolis and Cleveland, the last at Gin
einnati, and the present one here; so l have
not been able TO give you many of the stories
Of which Gen. Sherman tells you / am so full
But there are three matters of history of which,
did time permit | should like to speak TO you.
One of these subjects is called to mind by
what our eloquent orator Col. Dutlieldl has
said concerning the relations between myself
and our Gen. Thomas. of whom you know
have said, in an official report: He is the
chevalier sans peur ct sans reprOehe of our
army"
Ii seems all the more proper since in book,
recently published, is an intimation that he
served under me with feeling of conscious
superiority, which through singular self-abne-
CATION he subordinated 10 the public veal.
FOR THE TRUTH OF HISTORY
! VIII state that on the 30th day of October,
1862, i assumed command Of the troops thereto
fore under Gen. Buell.. which had been ordered
to rendezvous at Bowling Green, Ky. On the
arrival of Gen. Thomas's command he reported
at headquarters, and we had long talk.
j said: "Gen. Thomas, without my seeking
or the intervention Of friends, influence, or
otherwise, | have been ordered TO this COM
mand by our common superior. You, heCOok
and Crittenden have been with ii from the be-
ginning. Whatever in the future it shall do
for the good of the country will depend greatly
on the cordial cooperation of its commanders.
Yon and | have been friends for many years,
and shall especially need your support and
advice"
He said: General, there is no man under
whom would rather serve than under you, but
II seems TO me improper that, except IN some
real emergency, a senior should serve under
junior. i had an impression that your appoint
ment was junior TO mine, and thought of ask
ing 10 be sent To Texas, where formerly served
with my regiment, believing that on account
of my knowledge Of the country could be
especially useful there"
/ said: My appointment as Maj ajor-General
OF Volunteers was originally dated on the 10th
of last August, but apparently in contemplation
of the detail has been antedated TO the 10Th or
20th of last month, while my commission as
Brigadier in the Regular Army is older than
most OF, those Of the Brigadiers Of Volunteers"
He replied, That removes the only objection
TO serving under your command"
/ said: shall organize this command into
three grand divisions and you can have COM
mand Of the center composed Of four divisions
of infantry, with appropriate artillery. or you
may be my second in command and executive
choice"
He chose to rake the grand division Of the
center after Stone River the Fourteenth Corps,
and always served with the utmost eordiality
and good will After we had Chattanooga, and
about the second week in October 1863, Gen.
Garfield brought me personal message, which
Gen. Thomas asked him 10 give me, in prefer
ence 70 any other method of communication.
" Tell Gen. ROseeFans that should he be re-
/ ha rprn nd al n /
regard it as a great wrong to the interests of
our country and a great injustice 70 him, and
would be unwilling longer 10 serve here and
should ask to be sent elsewhere" To which
message and feeling Garfield added his own
concurrence.
/ told Gen. Garfield 70 assure Gen. Thomas
how much / appreciated his loyal and friendly
feeling, and that whatever might happen my
friendship for him would remain unalterd.
About fortnight later, and while we were
urging forward our preparations for taking con-
| troll Of the south side Of the river, between il
/ aud Bridgeport, to establish railway aud water
/ communication between us aud the end Of the
i Nashville g. Chattanooga Railway, on the after
noon of the 10Th Of October, 1863, took with
me Gen. w. +. fBaldy) Smith, Chief Of Engi-
| neers on my staff, rode over one Of our pontOon
| bridges and across the Peninsula TO the vicinity
Of Browns Ferry, AVID explained TO him how as
/ soon as Capt. Fox bad completed the pontoOns,
! bearers and flooring, we should throw a bridge
across tue river Al Browns Ferry so as 10 assure
/ free communication with HoOkers command,
4 who had been instructed 10 hurry up his trans
! portation, and furnished with a map of expla-
nation, so that he would be able to feed his
/ command at or near Wauhatehie, and thus
4 cover the line of the railroad and the river be-
/ tween Us and Bridgeport ! told him that al
1 soon as the material was ready we would decide
/ how to transport IL secretly TO the required
i point
On my return, about dark, found awaiting
/ me telegrams-One relieving me from the com
| mand Of the Army Of the Cumberland, one as
1 signing Gen. Thomas as my successor, from T.
| VI. Stanton, the Secretary of War, and third
/ from Gen. Grant enjoining Thomas to hold on
to Chattanooga until he could get up.
! Comrades, you can imagine how this last ap
peared 10 Us, who, better than any, knew its cost
10 our army and the value of its possession tC
the Union.
You know with what scosn we looked upor
the suggestion Of the possibility Of our abandon
ing what we made our campaign for.
/ went TO my tent and sent word TO Thomas
to come over, and he came, and when we 90
into my private quarters passed the paper
over 10 him.
He read them, and turned very pale Hi
bosom heaved and | saw the explosion that wa
coming, but before he could give it vent
stopped him.
Thomas, got the message you sent me b.
Gen. Garfield, aud hope you received mine
] told him 10 tell you that whatever happened
nothing could break the friendship between us
But you have got TO take this command. Thi
is a special exigency. The enemy is in iron
Of US. No one but you can succeed me in com
mand Of this army without serious peril TO tn
interests Of our country. You must accept tn
command for the security Of those interests"
After some time and good deal of feeling h
quieted down. he sat silent for long while
Then at last he said: u think your views ar
just, aud suppose / must do IT, but you know
my views and feelings"
Thomas is dead. / am the living witnes:
We two were alone together. But what tel
you is the truth.
Gen. J. J. Reynolds, who had succeeded Gen
Garfield rs Chief Of STAFF, was sent for, and tn
orders were written, mine relinquishing an
his assuming command.
The Chief u the Fourth Corps, Gen Granger
was then called, aud he was shown the order:
j then said / should leave in the morning at
o'clock, To prevent any demonstrations tina
, might give the enemy any idea of the change;
When Granger appealed TO me to delay lon
enough TO say goOd-by TO my comrades, / az
pealed TO Gen. Thomas as to the true impoI
tance Of my decision
Thomas said: Personally and officially
should like you To delay your departure for
few days, but think your decision is based o
sound reasons"
Now, my comrades, Sbu know how it cam
to pass that / left you on that foggy mornin
OF the 10th Of October 1863 over % years agt
without the consolation Of personally biddin